Welcome to my stop for "Return", the first book in the Lady of Toryn Trilogy by Charity Santiago. This tour is giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card courtesy of Charity and Bewitching Book Tours, so read till the end for your chance to win. Today I'd like to welcome Author, Charity Santiago, and the main characters of Return, Ashlyn Li, Drake and Vargo to Paperback Princess.

Biography of Return's Main Characters

by Charity Santiago

Greetings, friends and fans! My name is Charity Santiago, and the Paperback Princess herself has been kind enough to allow me to take the controls and steer the ship for the day. I’m currently embarking on a virtual tour with my young adult fantasy novel Return, the first book in my Lady of Toryn trilogy. Today I’m going to be talking about three of my favorite characters from Return: heroine Ashlyn Li, and her two love interests, Drake and Vargo.

Before we dive in, I must first explain that all three of these characters have vastly extensive back-stories. I spent over a year developing Drake, Vargo, Ashlyn, and the world they live in before I set about writing my story in earnest, and at this point the first fifteen years of Ashlyn’s life could be a novel in itself. I’m only going to give you a brief glimpse into who these characters are, and you’ll have to read the book if you want to know more.

Ashlyn Li

Ashlyn Li isn’t your typical eighteen-year-old. She’s a kick-ass ninja, an accomplished magic-user and a member of the Free Lands Democracy (FLD), the rebel group credited with defeating the tyrannical Lord Angelo three years ago. Ashlyn should be comfortable with fame- she is, after all, heir to the kingdom of Toryn- but the truth is, she has always struggled with the responsibility of her birthright, and she certainly doesn’t feel like a capable leader.

Ashlyn has suffered her fair share of heartbreak in her eighteen years. Her mother died during the war with Lord Angelo, and Ashlyn’s father was very much an absent parent following his wife’s death. Fortunately Ashlyn found a kindred soul in her adoptive sister, Restlyn, who also knows the pain of losing a parent. Three years ago, when Restlyn asked Ashlyn to help FLD in their quest to defeat Lord Angelo, Ashlyn didn’t hesitate to join the cause.

Now Ashlyn faces a new challenge. She has spent the last three years wandering the world of Kresmir, trying to avoid her birthright as future Lady of Toryn. Her absence started a war between Toryn and the Free Lands, and it’s up to Ashlyn to assume leadership of her kingdom and stop the war. Will Ashlyn finally become the leader she was born to be?

Drake

Drake Lockhart is a vampire- a monster who is only able to contain his bloodlust by using a magic called resist for its calming effects. Twenty-odd years ago, Drake was entirely human, and the leader of Lord Angelo’s elite Spartan assassins. When Drake dared to defy Lord Angelo’s cruelty, however, he was tortured, turned into a vampire, and manipulated into believing he’d murdered the woman he loved.

Drake met Ashlyn three years ago, when they both joined with FLD to challenge Lord Angelo’s reign, but he has shown no interest in anything beyond simple friendship. Is he hiding his feelings for Ashlyn, or is she setting herself up for heartbreak by caring for this mysterious man?

Vargo

If Drake Lockhart is a mystery, then Vargo is an open book…at first glance, anyway. Like Drake, Vargo was a Spartan assassin under Lord Angelo’s command, but the similarities end there. Three years ago, Vargo fought against FLD, but his resolve began to crumble as the war went on. In the end, Vargo walked away from his last battle with FLD rather than continuing to fight in support of Lord Angelo. Vargo now seeks redemption by working with FLD, but some find it difficult to forgive the Spartan for his actions during Lord Angelo’s reign.
Very little is known about Vargo, but his sarcastic attitude and flirtatious nature is off-putting to most. Vargo makes no secret of his interest in Ashlyn, and accepts her constant rejections with ease and confidence. Will he break down her barriers with his persistence, or will Ashlyn find herself unable to look beyond Vargo’s past?

About The Author

Charity Santiago

In February 2011, Charity Santiago's 7-month-old son was admitted to the hospital with severe respiratory issues. While Charity stayed at his bedside, she kept them both entertained by downloading several books on her new Kindle and reading them out loud. It was during this time that Charity learned about Kindle's self-publishing program, and realized that she had an opportunity to share her writings with the world.

Charity is a native of southeastern Arizona, and a writer since childhood. She wrote her first manuscript, Guinea Pig Code, at age nine. When she’s not writing books, Charity spends her time reading on her Kindle, wrangling children, watching Sylvester Stallone movies and pursuing a degree in Education.

About The Book

Return

by Charity Santiago

Book Description

For the last three years, eighteen-year-old Ashlyn Li has been running from her destiny. A free-spirited ninja, Ashlyn would rather loot an abandoned city or challenge a fiend to battle than assume leadership of Toryn, her father's kingdom. However, when a series of attacks reunites Ashlyn with the friends who helped her save the sun three years ago, she discovers that her kingdom is at war and her father has presumed her dead.

Suddenly Ashlyn is faced with not only fulfilling her birthright, but also making sense of her feelings towards two very different men- Drake Lockhart, the enigmatic vampire who captured her heart three years ago, and Vargo, the charismatic assassin who was once Ashlyn's sworn enemy.

Will Ashlyn ascend the pagoda and become Lady of Toryn?

Book Trailer

Excerpt

Clutching the reins in one hand, Ashlyn moved her other hand inside her cloak, drawing a small bo shuriken from the pouch on her belt. She preferred her sword or her larger hira shuriken, but both were strapped to her back, beneath her cloak, and there was no way to reach for them inconspicuously.

The thunder rumbled around her, and Ashlyn held her breath, waiting for the next flash of lightning. When it came, she saw with some alarm that her attackers were even closer than she expected- mere strides away.

Her heart pounding, Ashlyn flung the first shuriken at one of the three figures in front of her, and was reaching back into her pouch for another before the first reached its mark. As she spurred Suki, the first shuriken landed with a distinct thunk, and the man cried out. Suki leaped forward, colliding with a second attacker, and Ashlyn threw the second bo shuriken before pulling a knife from its sheath on her thigh. She crouched low over Suki’s neck and stabbed blindly in the darkness, aiming for whatever she could get, but the knife sliced only air.

One of her assailants caught hold of Ashlyn’s cloak, yanking backwards and nearly choking her. At that same moment, Suki whinnied in fear and reared up, and Ashlyn realized that there would be no outrunning this attack.

Kicking her feet out of the stirrups, she vaulted backwards, executing a flip before landing on the slippery grass. Ashlyn spun furiously, collecting her cloak in one hand to drag her attacker closer. She could barely make out his silhouette, black on black in the thick onslaught of rain. She dropped to one knee, quickly unlatching the throat clasp on her cloak to free herself, and stabbed the man in the leg. He went down.

With the cloak gone, Ashlyn yanked the hira shuriken off her back, barely getting a chance to wrap her fingers around the weapon before she was tackled from behind. She hit the ground hard, slipping and sliding on the wet grass. There was a sharp stab of pain in her right side, and she gasped, her cry cut short as her assailant hooked an arm around her throat.

Suddenly fire flared up around her, flames billowing and hissing in the rain, and Ashlyn panicked, realizing that her opponents were equipped with stanes.

Ignoring the agonizing pain in her side, she rolled over onto her back and struggled furiously to loosen her attacker’s grip around her neck, but he only clung more fiercely. Ashlyn’s eyes began to water. She shifted her grip on the shuriken and brought it down behind her, stabbing the man with the pronged spikes of the weapon as he lay between her and the ground.

He cried out and released her immediately. Ashlyn leaped to her feet, whirling and slicing down at his throat before ducking underneath a punch from another black-clad figure. She danced backwards and drew her sword, sheathing the shuriken on her back in the same smooth movement. There was a crackling behind her, the telltale sounds of a fire stane sputtering to life, and Ashlyn tensed, mentally cataloguing her collection of stanes and trying to figure out how best to retaliate. She turned, throwing up an arm as she prepared to cast a spell to defend herself.

What she saw stopped her cold.

Drake Lockhart stood before her, his long coat skimming the grass. His eyes flashed red in the semi-darkness, the reflection of the firelight dancing wildly in their crimson depths.

~ Giveaway ~

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comments:

Hi Angelica! Thank you so much for being a host on my tour! I appreciate your support and the time and effort you spent putting together a wonderful stop for the tour. I hope you have a wonderful week. Happy reading!